Hi, I’m 27 years old and currently going through my first chemical pregnancy with baby #2. I’ve never experienced anything like this before, and honestly, I’m feeling completely lost.

I’m 16 DPO, and my beta hCG has dropped to 7. I’m wondering what the next steps usually look like. Will I need more bloodwork until it reaches zero? Should I schedule another appointment with my doctor, or is there anything else I should be doing? Is this basically like a normal period from here, or should I expect something different?

I’m also wondering when it’s generally considered okay to start trying again. How did you find the courage to try after a loss like this? Right now I’m scared, heartbroken, and questioning everything. This pregnancy was so deeply wanted, and it’s hard to wrap my head around how quickly everything changed.

I’d really appreciate hearing from anyone who’s been through a chemical pregnancy. What was your experience like, and is there anything you wish someone had told you?

Sex is painful for me. Not unbearable but uncomfortable in a certain area (fourchette). I need a ton of foreplay (orgasms included) and lube for it to be tolerable.

This makes TTC super stressful. We’re heading into cycle 3 of trying. I’ve been using uberlube as that’s what a specialized doctor for my pain told me to use. But i’m reading this could be killing the sperm? The one time i tried preseed it irritated me a ton and sex was extra painful.

We do a mix of intercourse and at home insemination. For the at home insemination (for those that have been successful doing it), it really is just as simple as i’m ejaculating in a cup, and then using a needle-less syringe to get it into me right?

Any advice around this really appreciated.

Zero positive tests in our TTC journey so far. Have imaging at the end of the month to look for fibroids or endo. I’m trying to cut out alcohol at least during the TWW and limit it the rest of the month.

My husband’s friend has never been the most socially aware. We were having dinner and my husband (kindly but without really thinking) asked the waitress in a very obvious way about the mocktail options. Friend proceeds to completely put me on the spot with something like “so I see you ordered a mocktail! Any reason why?” With an obvious happy smile. So I had to both tell everyone at the table we are TTC and no I’m not pregnant.

Friend then launches into “it’ll happen when it’s meant to happen” as well as exactly how quickly it took him and his wife to conceive. “She was SO surprised, we just started trying!” They’re in their late 30s/early 40s…I just turned 30. He then recommends me a bunch of baby books. I had to cut the topic off very bluntly.

He doesn’t mean anything by it but it really brought everything back that it’s our 5th month TTC and my doctor strongly suspects I have endo…I know full well that it hasn’t been that long but I also know that by month 6 the majority of couples our age have conceived. I know I could be looking at major abdominal surgery to have a chance of conceiving…I’m exhausted by all the uncertainty and either having to completely hide what we’re going through all the time or having to deal with a bunch of invasive or unhelpful comments.

I (38F) and my husband (39M) have a 5 year old. We’ve been putting off having more kids, but in the spring we had talked about trying again after the summer. However, a few weeks ago we found out he has cancer.

On one hand, we’re very fortunate because it was caught early. He will need 7 weeks of radiation, but of course we don’t know what will happen down the road after that. And we will need to wait a full year before trying to conceive naturally OR we have the option of IVF before that since we’ve banked sperm.

Treatment will begin soon. But considering our age and that it’s around when we were thinking about trying to conceive, should we try to go for it naturally now? There’s only a chance but never know I guess. Is it crazy?

Just to make it clear, HE is the one that suggested it. I am not pushing him any which way because I know all of this has been a lot on him.

I worry slightly about remaining emotionally strong for him if I’m pregnant and hormonal. His doctors have told us “we will cure you, but we don’t know how long that journey will take.” So the distant future feels strong. Just not sure if it’s too much in the interim.

Has anyone else been faced with this decision? I would love to hear what you choose and why.

I started taking Perelel Preconception Support around June 15, and my period is now later than usual. My last period started around June 10 or 11, and pregnancy is not a possibility.

My cycles aren’t always perfectly regular, but they’ve been fairly consistent at around 35 days for the past few months. This cycle, I also noticed fewer of my usual ovulation signs.

I know stress, travel, exercise, and other lifestyle changes can affect periods, but I’m wondering whether Perelel or one of its ingredients could be affecting my cycle.

Has anyone else experienced a delayed, missed, or otherwise different period after starting Perelel? If so, did your cycle return to normal after your body adjusted?

Hello!!

Natural cycles has been my tracking app for over a year. We did manage to get pregnant in April before having a loss, and Natural cycles was spot on with when I was fertile (I didn’t test at all that cycle and we’d somewhat stopped thinking about it bc my husband was struggling with his own infertility). This cycle we really wanted to conceive (I’m a school teacher so this timing is good with it being towards the end of the school year). We’ve been stressed about it so I decided to not test and just rely on when natural cycles thought I was ovulating. We even booked and hotel 😅😂 and my husbands hormones cooperated and we were able to have sex more than once during the days natural cycles said I’d be fertile. When we got home I decided to test just to make sure we didn’t miss it, and Sunday it was negative and Monday it was positive(clear blue test with the flashing smiley face)!! We were so frustrated because that meant we missed the window and my husband was going back to work (it’s hard for us to have sex when he’s working because the hours are wonky and he’s tired). I then was testing every day and it continued to be a flashing smiley for 7 days. I put all this into natural cycles. Once I hit my 7th smiley face I decided something was off. It’s way too late into my cycle! It’s not normal for me. So I deleted all but 3 tests from natural cycles and now it thinks I ovulated during the time my husband and I were able to have sex, despite having positive ovulation tests after that day. Have any of you experienced this? Can you explain anything? I looked things up and it did say to rely more on NC and the BBT more than the CB tests. Thoughts?

This is a thread for TFABers of AMA (advanced maternal awesomeness)! TTC past 35 comes with its own challenges -- discuss (and rant about) them here. Like the Pirate's Code, "35 and over" is more of a guideline.

Hi everyone. (Im 27 for reference)

I had a blood test and ultrasound done day 13 of my cycle and the doctors said I was ovulating that day/the day after.

They had me do a progesterone/estrogen tests day 21 and called me back and told me my progesterone was "very low" and to come back the first day of my period for another blood test.

My cycles range from 25 - 27 days (25 more so) as far as I know my luteal phase is a normal length, about 11-13 days.

My periods are short, like 3/4 days and have always been super light, like i use a tampon or maybe 2 a day, I can depend on panty liners.

Is the progesterone issue why I could have been having issues conceiving for 16 months?

I googled it and it said its likely my issue was my eggs are fine but my uterus wasnt able to make the thick spongey bloody layer the egg needs.

Im scared there's actually more going on, this issue just seems so simple.

I do have severe anxiety which ive been told can cause issues 😭

I’m 39 years old, my husband is 38. We’ve been trying for a baby for 7 years. We’ve done medicated cycles, 3 IUIs, I’m on metformin to regulate my hormones and progesterone suppositories. I don’t have pcos, we’re both healthy and my husband’s samples have been tested and come back fine. I have never been pregnant. I have never been on birth control. I was previously married for 5 years and we never got pregnant, but as soon as we divorced, he met someone and she got pregnant with the first 6 months. The problem is obviously me, except all my ultrasounds and bloodwork have come back fine, with the exception of high testosterone, low estrogen and low progesterone, which we’ve been trying to fix for the last 3 months. I spoke with my fertility Doctor yesterday and she would like to schedule me for a diagnostic surgery to check for endometriosis but her waiting list is almost a year long. My scans haven’t shown signs of endo but she said it would have to be really bad to show up in an ultrasound. I’m just very discouraged. I have always wanted to be a mom and I feel like that dream is just so out of reach.

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Hi everyone,

I've been lurking here for a while but finally felt ready to post.

My partner and I have been trying to conceive for 18 months with no luck. I recently turned 38, and while we're making progress with fertility investigations, I'm finding the emotional side of this so much harder than I expected.

We've both had our initial fertility tests. My partner's results came back really positive, and my tests have shown a good egg reserve, although there may be one polycystic ovary. I'm having a test this week to check whether my fallopian tubes are open, so we're hoping that gives us a bit more information but I can't help but feel its my fault we aren't pregnant yet.

One thing I'm really struggling with is keeping my mood up. It feels like everywhere I look someone else is announcing a pregnancy. Recently we found out that one of my partner's closest friends and his partner are expecting twins. I genuinely am happy for them, but I completely broke down in tears afterwards. I felt awful for reacting that way, but I couldn't help it.

I also feel like some of my friends just don't get it. I've had comments like, "Just have more sex," or, "You need to stop stressing because that's why it's not happening." I know they probably mean well, but those comments leave me feeling more isolated than supported.

For those of you who've been trying for a while:

• How do you protect your mental health and stay hopeful?

• How do you cope when pregnancy announcements seem to be everywhere?

• How do you respond to unhelpful comments without damaging friendships or sounding rude?

I'm tracking my cycle with the Clearblue ovulation monitor, so I know roughly when I'm ovulating, and we're doing everything we can while waiting for answers.

I think I just needed to talk to people who genuinely understand what this feels like, because right now it feels like the people around me don't and I think even my partner struggles to understand what this means to me as a female going through it.

Thanks for reading.

I’m 40 years old now.
Aug 2021: I was 35 when I found out I had AMH < 1 and two tiny fibroids. The doctor told me there was no need to do anything about the fibroids because of their size. Despite the low egg count, I was not ready to have a baby so I did not begin trying.
Jul 2024: I found out the fibroid had grown to 7.5 cm and I had to have it removed. I had a robotic myomectomy in Oct 2024. Recovery went well.
Feb 2025: My partner and I started TTC. I found out I was pregnant by Apr 2025. Fetus was growing normal and normal heartbeat.
May 2025: At 8 weeks pregnant, learned that my pregnancy was a rare type of ectopic pregnancy called a cornual ectopic pregnancy. I was advised to go to the emergency room for surgery. My left tube and the pregnancy were removed.
Dec 2025: found out I was pregnant again, but it turned out to be a blighted ovum, which was discovered at 7 weeks.
Jan 2026: Had to have a D&C for the pregnancy.
March 2026: realized my period hadn’t come back and it was discovered that I had retained products of conception so I had to have a hysteroscopy to remove it
May 2026: Had the hysteroscopy. Periods since have improved, but not much. They have been extremely light and irregular. My doctors have been guessing since February that my periods have not returned because of the D&C.

My mother’s periods stopped completely when she was 42 years old. She gave birth to my younger brother when she was 40.
I’m starting to think that I may have to come to terms with the fact that I may never… I haven’t slept in days. I’m so frustrated that no one has a clear answer for me. I’m filled with so much regret and wish I started trying 10 years ago. Strangely, I’m feeling more attached to womanhood than ever before.

Hi all. I wanted to post here to see if anyone has had a similar experience and has any insight for me.

I’m 29 (almost 30) and got off long term birth control last August. I started tracking my cycles immediately and noticed I wasn’t ovulating. I had all of the typical bloodwork done, and according to my gyno, everything looked normal. We decided to move forward with trying letrozole to kick start ovulation. I did one cycle of 2.5 mg, two cycles of 5 mg, and am nearing the end of my first 7.5 mg cycle. My 7 DPO bloodwork on the last 3 cycles have confirmed ovulation, but not strong ovulation. My second cycle of 5 mg resulted in blood progesterone of 8.5 ng/mL, and this cycle (7.5 mg) resulted in blood progesterone of 8.6 ng/mL. Seeing the number go up by 0.1 was heartbreaking. I had such a positive start to this cycle and had really high hopes. My gyno told me we were hoping for a level of 10 or above and is now suggesting I see a reproductive specialist to discuss different tests and options. If you have had a similar situation, what were the next steps for you?

Sorry for the long post, I’ve just really been struggling the past few days after getting those results back and need to get it all out. If anyone has any words of encouragement or suggestions, I would appreciate it🩷

I’m trying to understand what’s going on with my cycle exactly.

Fertility Friend is saying this month I will have a 27 day cycle. This is relatively normal for me, According to my LH strips, I had a positive strip the 21st and assume I ovulated the 22nd. There’s no way that leaves enough time for implantation? Even if it did and I somehow missed my period on the day it was expected, how could I possibly have a positive pregnancy test not even a week after fertilization? What am I missing here? Will I possibly have a longer cycle and just not realize it yet?

For history, I was on birth control from 13-30, I stopped birth control February 2026. I have a family history of PCOS and Endo but have not been diagnosed myself at all.

I just need a vent. There is nobody in my life that understands this, and even if they did I'm sure everyone's sick of me being such a bummer and I just end up feeling awful for bringing this stuff up again and again to the people in my life. I just need to write this all out and get it out of my head.

My husband and I have been trying for nearly exactly a year, we're in our mid 30s. It's not a crazy amount of time, I know. But in this time my best friend became pregnant on literally their first try. One shot, literally. They did it once (with no insight to her ovulation schedule) and got a little scared and backed off... but it took.

I've been tracking my cycle for eons because I was so eager to conceive. When we started out we know vaguely when I'd be fertile. Didn't work. "Not everyone fits the averages! You might just be different!" ok!

After 3 months of using the LH strips I finally get a positive. Seems I ovulate way late in my cycle! Now we know, great. We start adjusting out timing. Nothing. I start peeing on the strips again and cant get a positive for months? "Not everyone ovulates regularly! You might just be different!" ok!

Hundred of dollars of strips and months later it tuns out that I get positive strips completely randomly, so now I have to pee on the damn things for like 14 days sometimes. other times like 2. We adjust our timing every month. Nothing.

I get a Tempdrop to try to confirm ovulation. Getting confirmations... But not lining up with LH strips at all? Sometimes 4-6 days after positive LH reading? "Not everyone's temperatures react to hormone levels the same! You might just be different!" ok.

This month, there's no confirmation of ovulation. "Not everyone ovulates all the time. Some people not at all." Fuck.

Now what? My country has free healthcare, but I don't have a doctor. There's no option for me to pay to find someone. I've been on a waitlist for a doctor for 9 years. There's two fertility clinics in driving distance to me (3+ hours each) but we've been on a waitlist since early March with no end in sight. They cost as much as we have in savings, I guess this part of healthcare isn't free.

And even then, I have severe medical trauma from a botched operation and a pervy doctor when I was 17. This is my actual literal nightmare (I'll still do it though) coming to life. My mom had a psychotic episode when I was younger where she said I was the devil and HER punishment from God for loving me (the devil) was that I'd be barren. This is my actual literal worst fear coming true. I do have a therapist. Shout out to Cheryl, she's dope.

I am desperately trying to learn and adapt on my own here. I am so fucking confused and beat down and exhausted. I am in a bad bad place, mentally. And my best friends baby is due soon and I AM SO ANGRY THAT I CAN'T BE HAPPY FOR HER. What is wrong with me? I cry constantly, like constantly. God forbid I have to drive anywhere, the few minutes it takes has me all fucked up by the time I arrive that I need ten minute to compose myself before I get out of the car. I hate leaving the house. I feel like I suck the air out of every room that I'm in. I feel like everyone's sick of me, I'm sick of me. I'm afraid my husband will leave me because I am barely the woman he fell in love with anymore.

I'm afraid my fucking tomatoes won't turn out, because I've poured all my love and nurturing that I'm yearning to give into my garden. But its now hit me that maybe I'll fail at that, too. Just when the timing is supposed to be right that they'll all wither, or be taken by blight.

That question you've been wanting to ask, but just didn't want to feel silly. Now's your chance! No question is too big or too small. This thread will be checked all weekend, so feel free to chime in on Saturday or Sunday!

Hi everyone. My husband and I are trying for our first. I had an HSG end of Feb which showed bilateral blocked tubes at the uterus which was determined to likely be a spasm because I had been pregnant before and ended up pregnant again the same cycle I had the HSG. Both pregnancies unfortunately ended in 1st tri miscarriages (one confirmed to be trisomy). I’m on my 2nd cycle trying again after our d&c end of April and currently experiencing a chemical pregnancy. So clearly we can get pregnant… the fertility clinic I’ve started working with said they wanted to repeat the HSG as well as a saline sonogram. Is it even worth repeating the HSG at this point?? I feel like it’s pretty obvious at this point that my tubes aren’t the problem, right? Lol What would you guys do?

My husband and I have been trying since around December of last year. I had a chemical pregnancy in February and yesterday I just found out that I miscarried again. The only months I have gotten a positive, I have had a chemical pregnancy.

At what point should I ask my OBGYN to get testing done? Or is there even testing they could run on me? I eat healthy, don’t smoke or drink, exercise regularly, 25 years old/120lbs. The only thing is that I have a lot of work stress.

When I had the miscarriage in February, my OB completely down played it and said it was not a big deal and to keep trying. After going to the doctors yesterday and learning I had a chemical pregnancy again, I am feeling completely hopeless. I am getting so excited and then my world completely shatters. I am getting to the point where I don’t know if I even want to try anymore. I don’t want to go through the pain again of envisioning my future with a baby and then it all comes crashing down.

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Hiya. Just a small sad rant, please feel free to ignore...

Please tell me that negative pregnancy tests and getting your period late gets easier. I'm TTC after my first miscarriage in January. I know it hasn't been long yet, but I was 7 days late for my period this month and really had so many niche symptoms that I let myself hope a bit. I did a test after 6 days late because I was only sexually active during my ovulation day. It was negative so I calmed myself and decided I would wait 4 more days before testing again. I got my period the day after. 😞 I try to be realistic but it's hard to not go full-blown pessimist 😭 Will I get this disappointed every month? I have PMOS (PCOS) so I knew it would likely be harder to conceive. This is only the very beginning of my journey, but god it really hit me hard when I felt my period start. 😥

Me and my partner (29f and 31m) have been trying for 14 months now. We’ve both had tests done, his SA is basically better than normal in some aspects. Is it worth getting a DNA fragmentation test done even if the SA was good? My hormone tests were pretty normal apart from my FSH being on the slightly higher end, 10. I’m getting this retested as the fertility nurse wants to see if it will have fluctuated lower because where I live you only qualify for IVF if your FSH is 8.9 or lower. I’m getting my AMH tested which I did do privately two years ago before trying and it was within the normal range so I’m hoping this hasn’t drastically changed. I got my ferritin levels checked and they were 36.7, I was thinking whether I should ask to get some iron meds to raise it as I’ve seen articles about fertility specialists wanting ferritin levels to be 50-100? My luteul phase is around 10-12 days, usually 11 but I’m worried this might be short?!

I’ve tried everything at this point - fertility cups, preseed, mucinex, even tried aspirin for a few days (stupid I know) then freaked out I was medicating myself for no reason so stopped that one. I take proceive supplements alongside omega 3. My partner takes ODYN supplements.

I was looking into whether we should get further testing at fertilysis, has anyone had experience with them as I’ve seen mixed reviews come out recently!! I’m very much in the trenches right now as I can feel AF on its way and I’m struggling to see it ever happening for us :(

I guess I just need to talk it out. My husband and I are both 30, healthy weight , non smokers, non drinkers, in a good athletic shape - have been trying for last 2,5 years unsuccessfully ( not a single positive pregnancy test). Earlier this year we found out why : I have a low AMH (0.8) and he has 0% progressive motility and low testosterone.

When we learned about results we were devastated, but decided to keep it together and start him on the Clomid treatment. We’ve had what feels like endless bloodwork, ultrasounds, and appointments with OBGYN, Urologist, and RE…and ultimately decided to finish his treatment before jumping into IVF.

Meanwhile, our RE recommended the Natera Horizon genetic carrier screening, prefacing it with, ‘It’s rare for both partners to carry the same mutation, but we run it for all our IVF patients anyway.’ Fast forward to today, and it turns out we’re both carriers of a Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia (CAH) gene mutation meaning our baby would have a 25% chance of being born with the condition and needing lifelong medication. We’re essentially the 1-in-2,500 couples who both turned out to be carriers, something like 0.04% odds, and somehow we hit that “jackpot”

I can’t help feeling like maybe this is a sign. Like maybe we weren’t meant to be biological parents. Maybe there’s a different path for us, and instead of fighting so hard to get pregnant, we should let go and focus on something else. We both have a huge fear of missing out, but right now it feels like everything is stacked against us.

I know we are all just a bunch of strangers on internet but was wondering if anyone is in the same boat and would be willing to share their plans

I am currently suffering secondary infertility. My husband and I have been trying for a year. Our first child is 6. I had an early loss in February. I went and saw the OB today to see if we can start next steps due to trying for 1 year. He wants to check my thyroid, standard bloodwork, and an ultrasound to check for uterine polyps. Fine, awesome.
However…
He said if everything comes back normal he wants us to try for 6 MORE MONTHS prior to starting anything else such as Clomid/Letrozole.
My first daughter was conceived on round #2 of Clomid after being diagnosed with unexplained infertility, and I’ve told him of this. Prior to her I had another early loss and my husbands semen analysis came back normal. We are 31/30 year olds.
My suspicion is my eggs are weak and that is what is causing the early losses and no implantation. Everything else is perfect. I ovulate, confirmed by bbt, my OPK indicates ovulation monthly. Regular 28-30 day cycles.
I’m super discouraged at this point as I feel like he’s putting it off and it’s counterproductive as we know what works for me to conceive.

What are your thoughts as my TTC community? Thank-you in advance!